[Pixelplay]

Copper works for me, I think that combined with the white led and black chassis, it looks really good.

 

[defbear]

I have been trying the Holo Spring DAC Lvl 3 with everything I can plug it into. I have been using the Master 11 with SE cables. I finally got my hands on a set of balanced xlr's. So I tried the HoloDac into the Master 11 balanced for the first time last night. I do not know if the Master 11 splits SE input to Balanced the way the Liquid Carbon does so successfully. But I can say the Master 11 sounded Even Better fed with the HoloDac's balanced outputs. Bugger, deeper soundstage with amazing separation. If your HD800 set doesn't have enough bass or is spiky, here is a solution. I am finding with the HoloDac, there is just Much More detail without lifting the treble into the sky. Same with the soundstage. For me a piece of equipment has to let me hear something in a recording that I have not heard before. The Spring DAC has that in buckets. It really is a holographic experience. I feel like I'm floating, with a 360 degree ball of music surrounding me. 

 

[Stillhart]

  I have been trying the Holo Spring DAC Lvl 3 with everything I can plug it into. I have been using the Master 11 with SE cables. I finally got my hands on a set of balanced xlr's. So I tried the HoloDac into the Master 11 balanced for the first time last night. I do not know if the Master 11 splits SE input to Balanced the way the Liquid Carbon does so successfully. But I can say the Master 11 sounded Even Better fed with the HoloDac's balanced outputs. Bugger, deeper soundstage with amazing separation. If your HD800 set doesn't have enough bass or is spiky, here is a solution. I am finding with the HoloDac, there is just Much More detail without lifting the treble into the sky. Same with the soundstage. For me a piece of equipment has to let me hear something in a recording that I have not heard before. The Spring DAC has that in buckets. It really is a holographic experience. I feel like I'm floating, with a 360 degree ball of music surrounding me. 

 
Make me want to try it with the Liquid Tungsten because that's how I felt about that amp with the DAC-19.  I can only imagine how good it is with a sick DAC like this...

 

[Pixelplay]

Defbear, I love reading your posts on your impressions of the HOLO. Are you able to give me an impression of the midrange and tone? I know that it is all subjective. My HOLO Kitsune version 3 arrives next week so in the interim I am living the experience through you

Cheers
Greg

 

[FredA]

I have been trying the Holo Spring DAC Lvl 3 with everything I can plug it into. I have been using the Master 11 with SE cables. I finally got my hands on a set of balanced xlr's. So I tried the HoloDac into the Master 11 balanced for the first time last night. I do not know if the Master 11 splits SE input to Balanced the way the Liquid Carbon does so successfully. But I can say the Master 11 sounded Even Better fed with the HoloDac's balanced outputs. Bugger, deeper soundstage with amazing separation. If your HD800 set doesn't have enough bass or is spiky, here is a solution. I am finding with the HoloDac, there is just Much More detail without lifting the treble into the sky. Same with the soundstage. For me a piece of equipment has to let me hear something in a recording that I have not heard before. The Spring DAC has that in buckets. It really is a holographic experience. I feel like I'm floating, with a 360 degree ball of music surrounding me. 

Thanks for the feedback. Looking forward to hearing you impressions using the built-in usb with the intona. Sounds like it is a superb dac.

 

[defbear]

Make me want to try it with the Liquid Tungsten because that's how I felt about that amp with the DAC-19.  I can only imagine how good it is with a sick DAC like this...

The DAC-19 and Master 11 are similar with the Master 11 being balanced. Both Audio-Gd DACs are no joke. But this level three Spring DAC is just on another level. In a word, Intoxicating! Hey, I'm going to put on some Martin Denny.

 

[slex]

LvL3 vs Ygg comparison, anyone? Im setting my main rig.

 

[Stillhart]

If I get a review unit in, I'll be comparing to the DAC-19, Yggy, 2Cute and possibly Metrum Menuet.  Might make a big shootout of non D-S DAC's...

 

[slex]

If I get a review unit in, I'll be comparing to the DAC-19, Yggy, 2Cute and possibly Metrum Menuet.  Might make a big shootout of non D-S DAC's...

Greatly appreciated.

 

[defbear]

Defbear, I love reading your posts on your impressions of the HOLO. Are you able to give me an impression of the midrange and tone? I know that it is all subjective. My HOLO Kitsune version 3 arrives next week so in the interim I am living the experience through you

Cheers
Greg

Oh Dear. Thank you. I actually am a nice person in person but then... I'm going to assume the mid-range is all you hope it could be. Tone? It's late so I was going to be a bit silly. Instead, I could have bought a nice safe Auralic system for all the money I've spent, but no fun and no learning. Yggy seemed a safe bet as well. And perhaps I needed more research but Yggy did not seem to be keen on over sampling adventures. The Spring DAC has that nice Oversample button. You can drop-kick your 44k stuff to 384K or DSD. Or have pure NOS. So NOS does have the most beautiful Tone. It is not a syrupy mess. It is smooth, not a hint of anything harsh but has all this soundstage with immense detail stretching out to the horizon. Up sampling does change the Tone and soundstage. Things get a bit sharper. The sound may be tightened up a bit. Soundstage is a bit more Normal. Actually closer to what I get with the Master 11. Of course the Spring DAC is up on the railing with me looking down at poor Master 11 below. (I can't believe myself). I'm using my HD800 set with a Norne Draug II cable. Caution! I believe that cable is Magic. And I might be cheating by having my MacBook USB plug into the Singxer SU-1 then into the Spring HoloDac (let's play Scrabble with the only letters being HoloAudioSpringDac). I have only briefly tried the Spring DAC's USB, plain vanilla, no Intona, Regen, Jittebug yet. The SpringDac USB sounded pretty damn fine on it's own. I'm sure that's proof of something for someone right there. It may be a bit louder than the SU-1 unit. I had to turn down my amp a bit. Teensy bit bolder sound? The Intona has made an immediate, audible improvement to everything I have tried it with. It could be a real treat with the Holo Spring DAC. Tomorrow after Svengoolie.
One more thing about tone. I was convinced that Balanced sounded better than Single Ended. So I bought a Single Ended microZOTL OTL Tube amp. Get it all over in one fell swoop. I needed to find out. I ahem, really do put my money where my mouth is. And I found out Single ended Can sound just as big and wide and buzzword-able and as enjoyable as Balanced. The Holo Audio Spring DAC is just as nice Single Ended as it is running Balanced.

 

[defbear]

Thanks for the feedback. Looking forward to hearing you impressions using the built-in usb with the intona. Sounds like it is a superb dac.

Well @Pixlplay likes me best so I gave him the big answer. But I was thinking of your question when I posted. I will get the Intona in front of the Spring Holo DAC this weekend and report.

 

[defbear]

If I get a review unit in, I'll be comparing to the DAC-19, Yggy, 2Cute and possibly Metrum Menuet.  Might make a big shootout of non D-S DAC's...

I can't quite let go of my Spring Holo DAC Level 3 just yet. Needs 300 hours burn-in. Perhaps Kitsune could get you one for your shootout. I too would love a compairison between HoloDac and Yggy. I was looking at the Menuet also.

 

[biosailor]

  If I get a review unit in, I'll be comparing to the DAC-19, Yggy, 2Cute and possibly Metrum Menuet.  Might make a big shootout of non D-S DAC's...

That would be fantastic, especially when you include some 'non-Yggi' DACs. It looks as if the Yggi is the reference DAC to compare everything else to. I'd be particularly interested in the Metrum comparison, as Metrum has built quite a reputation over here in Europe. BTW, isn't the 2Qute a Delta Sigma DAC? Anyway, I'd be vastly interested!

 

[FredA]

Well @Pixlplay likes me best so I gave him the big answer. But I was thinking of your question when I posted. I will get the Intona in front of the Spring Holo DAC this weekend and report.

Thanks a lot. I am very happy with my master-7 but still curious. No one has done a direct comparison between the two yet but the Holo should be better.

 

[Pixelplay]

Thanks Defbear, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts on the holo. As difficult and subjective as it is, it's always nice to know that I too have invested my money in something different that by all accounts is delivering. I was all lined up to get a yggy until the holo surfaced.

Thanks again
Greg

PS, yes I do like you best